The Dillon tribune., 1887-06-17
Ife 1inon !Mribun<.
PROCESS OF RAisIN MAKING.

PROCESS OF RAisIN MAKING.
A Correspondent Presents = California
Fruit GrOwet's Account Of the business.
In concluding my description Of raisin
producing in California I herewith pre-
sent an account Of the process of raiain
making, kindly furnished me by a prolni-
nent fruit grower Of Riverside:
1.-The sun laved shores of the Mctliter-
ranean offer to the vino no finer soil and
climate than the warm plains Of Cali
fornia. The abundant water supply
from tho snow filed canyons OF the
mighty Sicrlas gives health tn the vino
and sixc to the berries, while the long
summer heat fills the grape with luscious
ness. When the early September days
pour tosfid heat upon the plains the
rich clusters put on a golden tint, the
royal amber II full fipenew. sun and
water and warmth can do no more: The
vintage time Inns come. To make sweet
raisins, filled with jelly and of Ane
brown color, IL h important that the
grupcs should show this yellow color.
Picking carly, SO as to le first in tho
market, does not mean good raisins. The
grapes when THUS ripencd are carefully
cut from the vino and laid upon small
platforms made OF smooth sugar pine,
and raiseal from the ground by inch
clcaas. These platforms arc three feet
long and two feet wide. and are capable
Of holding from twenty to twenty-five
pounds II grrn grapes. They are then
placed on the open spaces between the
rows Of yines. and left for the action Of
the sun and air. Ii. picking the cranes
caro- should be takcr not to bundle the
lunches 60 ms to rub off the delicate
hloOm.. asa ,a 7t II
I'm nine days after picking tho grapes
arc sufficiently dry on the upper side to
admit IT turning over. This il done by
placing an empty platform on O filled one
and reversing quickly. II skillfally done,
no fruit will be thrown off. In five or
six days after turning the raisins ore
sufficiently cured to bo removed from
the platforms This il really the only
delicate part of tho whole business. re-
!iiring much Judgment; the more euro
The better raisins. If tho raisins have,
part Of their juices still liquid uncon-
vertcd into jelly, so that drop can be
squeezed out by pressing the raisin bc-
tween the thumb and finger. they are
unfit to hc put into tho sweat boz as
they will eventually mold or sour after
and if too much dried tho con.
sumer will never know the lcliciousncs;
OF properly cured raisins; therefore a
careful inspection Of each tray must bc
made and imperfectly dried raisins re-
moved, utter which all dust and dirt
must he vigorously famed from tho tray. /
ihey arc now carefully slipped from tho
tray into large boxes called sweat boxes,
which arc three feet long. two feet wide
and one foot deep. After IL layer con
Aistlng OF TN, contents Of three or four
Platforms has been placed in tho box n
largo sheet If manila paper is laid uyosr
them. then another layer Of ,.lisins and
Paper alternately, until tho lnx is filed.
''IAc boxes arc now taken from the
vineyard to some cool building. and al
lowed to stand from two weeks To a
month. The moisture. passes into tho |
stems, making them pliahle, and ;,n ex,ui.
llhrlunl h established through all tho
rnisins IN tho box. At tho end of tho !
proper curing time tho la;sins mss into |
the hands Of tho packers. These ,mck |
from the layers on the manila ,s,ncr into
ssaivan'Sed iron trays, fitting comfortably
INTO the boxes which ~ to market. Tlnts,
rays nave i:llso wooden bottoms, and are
~ balanced on the scales before packing. |
All imperfect rniains and sr,,erabundant |
stems arc cut out from the lN,nchcs, which
,rc'thc1 neatly placed In the trlSs until
'ney contain five pounds of fruit. They
lrot then pressed in u, lever press. The
ancy paper wraplNr. " now placed upon
no iron tray, y steel plate nut over
hat, and all reversed over the box in
Shscis they ,re I'd b. hacked: the sii,lc IL
wlkn the compact. five pound
aver, with its laper Mral,ring, falls into
he box; the paper il folded over. and tho
'ox y ready for its successive LAYERS.
1.-THE standard California lnx ho,ds
our o. layers, er twenty pounds. When
III the layers arc III the box =, fancy label
placed upon tho top, tho cover nailed
10, aud the cover stenciled with the own.
RS name. This constitutes ii box Of
able raisins.. AL small, louse ,aisins arc
mckett ;ss cooking raisins' according to
ne option Ut tho packer. There cccms
n no good reason why. California
llouM not produce raisins equal 10 obi
'l..in. when we learn that the lnst r-
1lts follow the greatest care in details.
Se must not forget that Spain has had
enturics Ut experience. which, has hpn
transmitted from generation to genera
ION. while we are novices il, the business
vith all things to learn. ''-Isen c. Tru-
nan in New York Times,
Primitive Currency.
Schwcinfurth has mentioned tt,. .